Exploring the City of Angels

A wobbly, exhausted Kendall, slowly took each step down the stairs without any ounce of fluidity. The dark, deep bags under his eyes made him look even more of a hot mess than he already was. His hair stuck out just like Logan's gravity defying hair but with even more resilience that would put Logan's hair to shame.

"You look like shit."

The blondes gaze slowly turned to see James leaning against a counter in the kitchen with bowl of cereal and powdered milk. As always, he looked immaculately clean, and for once Kendall was jealous over the prim state his friend was in.

A small glare hardened as he watched James take a spoonful of the cereal in his mouth. "Didn't get much sleep."

"Why?"

He was mocking him. Whether James knew it or not he was mocking Kendall because of how he listened to his body last night and have the beauty rest it needed. Kendall would have had the same but that changed when he woke up thirsty. All Kendall wanted to do was get a drink from the kitchen and then go back to sleep, but no, he had to spot Logan outside basking in the glow of the moon and looking irresistible. His interest peaking when he wondered why Logan was on the balcony, and another part filled with worry. Being the leader of the group he went outside to investigate, and also because he liked being around Logan. Being around the short brunet filled him with a sense of completion. He couldn't think of any other word than that. Complete.

With Logan, Kendall felt whole.

When he went outside he didn't expect the emotional night he was going to have. It only put him more on edge when Logan broke down. He's only seen that happen once before, and that was at the campsite all those weeks ago, but then it was nowhere as intense as last night. As if the wall Logan made around those painful memories just crumbled to dust and everything swept out in a storm.

Logan balled his eyes out for so long that Kendall almost fell asleep holding the shorter guy in his arms. The only reason he didn't was because Logan was able to gain control of his emotions and stop his crying.

"I'm so sorry."

Kendall remembered that was all Logan kept saying after he stopped his crying, as if crying was some kind of illegal activity.

"It's alright, Logie." The nickname left his lips without him even thinking. He wanted to assure that Logan losing his control wasn't a bad thing and if that meant showing more affection than he already did, then by all means let the fluffiness choke them.

Even after his countless reassurances after that Logan still felt the need to apologize, which caused them to have a little spat about excessive apologies. After that though they went their separate ways back to their rooms. Kendall didn't know until he got into his bed, but after sharing their lasts and having a little cry feat they were awake for nearly two hours.

And that's how Kendall wound up where he was now. At the foot of the stairs, major bags under his eyes with bed head, and less than five hours of sleep for the entire night.

"Couldn't sleep." Kendall knew that telling James the true reason why he had such a deplorable amount of sleep would only end up with an annoying amount of teasing from his best friend.

"Sucks." Kendall smiled as James seemed to buy the lie.

"Was that before or after your talk with Logan?"

Kendall had no idea why, but when James said that he flinched. Normally when he got caught he had this sort of grace of being caught, but when it had to do with Logan it was like he was walking with two left feet.

He sighed knowing it was best not trying to lie to James. "How'd you know?"

James hid his smirk behind a spoonful of cereal. "You always forget that I'm a light sleeper because of all the pranks you did to me when we were kids. I heard someone come out of there room and then I heard your door open too, so I went to see what was going on." He placed his spoon in the bowl, smirk smugly plastered in view. "And what a surprise when I see you and Logan chatting it up on the balcony. What were you guys talking about?"

Kendall sighed. "About what happened a year ago." He said as he shuffled to the kitchen and grabbing a bowl and started making himself breakfast.

"Oh." That wasn't the answer James hoped for. He hoped or something around the lines of the two declaring the love for one another and then having an intense make out session afterwards. A talk about the night his mom died, not so much. "How was it?"

Another sigh left Kendall. "His past is way more messed up than ours." He walked over to the3 counter where James made him an extra bowl of cereal.

James looked into the living room thinking back to the first few days he met Logan. "Didn't Carlos say something about him killing his family?"

"Yeah, he told me."

"Was it worse than what you did...?"

Kendall nodded. "Way worse. He killed his own dad, uncle, and boyfriend all in one night."

"Shit."

"Yeah." Kendall gingerly spun the spoon in his cereal. "We hugged though." He smiled sheepishly at James. Here comes the teasing. In 3... 2...1...

"My boy got some action!"

Kendall was about to laugh by the sliding door to the backyard opened. They both snapped their gazes to the entrance and saw the rest of the group walking in laughing and smiling. Katie was smiling smugly as Sebastian pouted. Carlos, Camille, and Stephanie were ripping with laughter. The two moms looked completely amused. Finally, both Jo and Logan walked in last. The two with some bruises and Logan limping slightly, nonetheless he was smiling widely with Jo.

"What happened to you two?"

Logan smiled even wider at Kendall causing the blond to unconsciously smile back. "Katie and Sebastian put a bit on whether if Jo or I could knock the other out in a sparring match."

"You lost?"

"I got distracted..." Logan turned and blushed.

"By?"

Logan bit his lip. Carlos being the best friend he was knew Logan didn't want Kendall to find out he got distracted because he saw the blond in the kitchen talking to James, so being a best friend changed the topic.

"So!" He walked over to Kendall and taking a spoonful of his cereal. "We going out and scavenging today?"

"Yeah." Kendall looked passed Carlos to the still blushing Logan. I've never seen him act so... normal before.

"Alright!" Carlos jumped back into Kendall's view. "Let's get ready then! Come on Logan!" Carlos gripped Logan's shoulder and practically had to drag the blushing brunet up the stairs. The entire time Logan did his best to not stare at Kendall.

Kendall shamelessly watched Carlos drag Logan up the stairs. He continued staring at the stairs even when Logan and Carlos were out of sight.

That was until Katie kicked him in the shin.

"Ow!" He yelped grabbing his shin with one hand while balancing the bowl of cereal in the other.

"Kendall!" He looked down ready to glare at his little sister but it fell when he saw her smirk widen.

"What?" He snapped, placing the bowl on the counter.

"What happened last night?"

"We-uh."

"They talked." James bud in.

"About?"

"Stuff."

"James, thanks for earlier." Kendall mumbled as he turned the Hummer on.

After James successfully averted any conversation about the night prior to Logan's sudden jubilated state, they got ready to head out into the city. They may have a water purification system for all their water needs and electricity from the solar panels, but the house wasn't god. After they settled into the house they rarely made trips out of it for supplies or explore.

Today was the day they changed that. For one they were finally running low on supplies and two, some of them were getting stir crazy from staying in the house for so long. More specifically, Kendall, James, and Carlos. The rest of the group seemed perfectly capable of housing it for the near defendant amount of time. Especially Logan who didn't even seemed phased by the sudden change of action throughout the day. He transitioned back to the bookworm he was before. While Kendall, James, and Carlos roamed around the large house and try to find something to stave there boredom Logan locked himself up in the office where he found the blueprints and read the books in there.

The other three always tried to take him away from the books, but it only lasted for a few seconds before Logan was entranced by the books again.

"That's what best friends are supposed to do." James said, looking out the side window to see Logan lecturing Carlos about the use of a motorcycle. That only lasted for a few seconds until both Carlos and Stephanie pushed Logan away. Stephanie smiled at Carlos whispering something and giving him a peck on the cheek. She quickly ran back inside the house leaving the Latino stunned.

"Wooh! Get some!" James called out of the window.

Carlos turned and gave him the thumbs up.

"When did that happen?" Kendall looked back from the rear view mirror. Seeing Logan congratulate Carlos for the kiss.

"Since you've been head over heels for Logan."

"I haven't been head over heels for him!" Kendall shot back. A little too quickly for that.

"Mhmm. Let's just get to exploring."

Kendall huffed, and started to pout but stopped when he saw Logan in the rear view mirror and smiled. James smiled at what he was seeing. Since Logan joined them and when he found out Logan swung that way he knew something would happen between him and Kendall. The way the two connected nearly instantaneously. He couldn't fathom how the two lasted so long without an incident, but knew it was only a matter of time before something would happen.

He just hoped it was sooner rather than later.

Logan grunted when Carlos' squeeze him around his waist. He really didn't know why Carlos asked to join him on the motorcycle if he was terrified of the contraption, but here they were; following Kendall and James on the motorcycle throughout Los Angeles.

A grunt left his lips when they turned a corner of the abandoned street and Carlo squeezed the breath out of him.

"Carlos, let up a little. You're squeezing the life out of me." Logan croaked out.

"Sorry!" Carlos loosened up his grip just as the loud croak of the wallow talkie burst from Carlos' grip.

"Guys, there's a store down the street. Think we should check it out?" James' voice boomed from the speaker.

"Tell him we should. It seems like when Los Angeles was hit pretty hard and fast; people didn't have much time to scavenge the city." Logan said as they drove down the street to the store in the distance.

From what Logan could tell, the place could even make as a good second place for them to fortify. A large cement fence encompassed the perimeter of the building. Making it a good hold out spot if a hoard ever passed by. The house they were staying at would hold out the hoard but nowhere as long if they stayed at the store. Logan shook the thoughts out of his head as Carlos told James and Kendall yes. The place may have been good for a hold out, but in the long run it wouldn't be as good as the house. The house that had its own water purification system and powered by solar panels.

"They said to park just out of the fence just in case."

Logan nodded and let his fingers slip to the break handle and press down just as the Hummer in front of them slowed down and came to a stop. The motorcycles jerked to a stop causing Carlos to yelp and squeeze Logan even tighter.

Kendall and James got out of the hummer just in time to see Carlos squeeze the life out of Logan. For some reason Kendall felt a guy wrenching feeling as he saw the two so close. Something in his mind wanted to push the two apart, replacing Carlos arms with his own.

"Carlos, can you let me go?" Logan groaned out. He was amazed Carlos hasn't cracked one of his ribs from how tight the Latino gripped him.

"Right." Carlos looked down, smiling as he saw the concrete pavement not gliding under him anymore.

He was never riding with Logan on a motorcycle again. He still had no clue how Logan knew how to ride one in the first place, but supposedly his best friend did. He wasn't going to ask.

"How do you know how to ride a motorcycle?"

Looks like he didn't have to.

Logan looked at Kendall and smiled. A genuine smile that sort of freaked out James and Carlos because they don't see Logan smile a lot. Sure maybe a smirk or a grin everyone now and then, but a smile, that was once in a blue moon kind of thing.

"My uncle taught me."

"So your uncle knew karate and how to ride a motorcycle. He must've been a boss!"

Logan chuckled. "I guess he was, and he knew how to fight with weapons. Taught me a little, but I prefer using a stick rather than a sword."

"But you have a machete."

"I do." The four walked through the fence entrance. Three out of the four of them grimaced in disgust from the blood that was speed around in the small parking lot. Along with a few cars scattered about with blood on them as well.

"But how many times have you seen me use it?" Logan questioned, completely unfazed by the large amounts of blood decorating the outside of the store.

"Um..." James still shocked over the fact that Logan isn't one bit grossed out from the huge amount of blood around the four did his best to answer. "I don't think I've ever seen you use it."

"Exactly. I only use it when I absolutely have to." Logan froze in his steps as they passed a toppled SUV. "Like now."

As fast as he could his hand gripped into the handle of the machete and he pulled it from the sheath on his back. Just as he did a gargle erupted from behind the car and a large zombie jumped out at them. Going straight for the four, but before the other three could react at all at the situation Logan swung his machete as hard as he could, cutting the zombies face open.

It started to scream as it was pushed back from the cut, but it barely let out a wail when Logan stuck his machete in its mouth, stifling its cries of anger. Blood sputtered out of its mouth and onto the four, a majority landing on Logan.

He gripped the handle with both hands keeping the zombie away from the others and jerked it roughly; cutting it open in an upward motion. The head split in two as the zombie fell to the ground dead.

Logan sighed as his adrenaline high left his system. He looked at his clothes and frowned "Darn it. I got blood on me." He whined as he poked his now bloody button up Kendall found him in the house when they first searched it. "I liked this shirt." He huffed and turned around.

How brow furrowed. The way his friends looked at him dumbfounded him. It was like they haven't seen a zombie before.

"What?"

Kendall gulped the lump down his throat doing his best to find his voice. He knew Logan grew accustomed to the post-apocalyptic world fairly well, but today was the first time Logan acted completely normal after slicing a zombie apart, and moping about getting blood on his shirt as if it was the first time that ever happened.

"Nothing, let's just go inside."

Logan nodded and wiped the machete clean with his shirt and re-sheathed it. Smiling at his friends one more time he turned and walked to the store entrance.

The three gaped at Logan. "It's like he's another person." James let out in a breath.

"No," Carlos corrected. "he's like he was before the apocalypse." Carlos couldn't help the huge smile on his face as he ran up to Logan.

"Did I do that?" Kendall pointed over to Logan who was talking very animatedly with Carlos.

"I think you did."

Kendall wasn't sure how to feel about changing Logan's attitude so drastically in one night. He didn't think he would have the power to change Logan like that. To make him actually enjoy life again. That power over Logan scared him, but he knew he wouldn't abuse it if meant making Logan turn back into that soulless, heartless person he was before they met.

"You guys coming?" Logan shouted out.

"Yeah!" James called out. "Come on," he said in a low voice. "Think about the power you have over your crush later."

"I don't!" Kendall's protest stopped abrupt by the look James have him. "Shut up."

James laughed. "Let's go."

The two caught up to Carlos and Logan; James smiling as if he won the lottery and Kendall pouting. He was hoping James wouldn't tease him, he was wrong.

"Something wrong, Kendall?" Kendall looked up to see Logan smiling softly at him.

Damn, that smile.

"N-no, I'm alright."

The look Logan gave him clearly said he didn't buy it. "Sure." He turned back to the store, knowing that he would question Kendall about it later.

"You and James take that side of the store and Carlos and I will take the other." Logan walked off with Carlos, not giving James the chance to act as the Super Best Friend and get his friend and crush to go together.

"Come on, were running low on fruits and vegetables and my mom said that we should find some seeds and garden stuff." James grabbed Kendall as his pout deepened when he caught he glimpse of James' apathetic smile. It seemed that he had the same idea of splitting him off with Logan.

"Not tryin' to bring you down or anything, buts what's with you?" Logan glanced at Carlos. They were walking through an aisle with a cart of canned goods.

"What do you mean?"

Carlos rubbed his neck. "It's like you're a completely different person. Not that it's a bad thing! Just, what happened dude?"

Logan looked at Carlos and sighed. "Kendall and I had a talk last night."

"About?"

Logan bit his lip. He wasn't sure how Carlos would take it that he told someone he's known for barely a few months about a night that he's never spoken about with his best friend. "The night of the dance."

Carlos jaw nearly unhinged by how fast it fell. "Oh."

"Yeah. He kinda pushed it out of me though. He told me the night everything happened with him and James and I had to tell him ours." Logan averted his gaze from his best friend seeing a box of water sitting on a shelf. He was amazed by the plethora of supplies in the city. It was as if not even the living visited the city after the apocalypse. The city for the most part was in a much better condition than Minneapolis was. Excluding the small pockets of death and dismay scattered around the city, but compared to Minneapolis this place was like heaven for scavengers.

He walked to the box of water, picking it up and placing it in the cart. Just because they had a purification system for all their water needs didn't mean it would last. They might need the water if the system broke and they couldn't fix it.

He sighed when he saw Carlos' patient eyes still waiting for him to finish his story. "It was like..." A sigh "a weight lifted after I told him what happened. I'm still sad about that night, but just talking to Kendall about it shifted something in me. As if I wasn't being held back by that anymore."

Carlos was going to compliment his best friend about that big moment for him, and also tease him about the obvious crush he had on Kendall, but as he opened his mouth a horrendous rawer broke through the windows of the store. Glass violently bursting from the wall and scattered quickly through the front of the store.

The two fell to their knees, covering their ears with their hands as the loud rawer violently coursed through them.

"Fuck, that doesn't sound good.' Logan stood back on his feet, stepping on his toes to look down the store back to the front just in time to see the glimpse of bright sky blue fabric. "No." He breathed out.

He looked at Carlos then back to the front. "Not this time." He said in a lower voice getting Carlos' attention.

"What is it!?"

"Find Kendall and James and get the supplies in the Hummer." Ignoring the question he bolted down the aisle, hand gripping for his machete. What he would do for the pipe he found back in Minneapolis right about now. But no, they had to carry light these days and so he didn't bring the zombie killing extending pole with them, but he still had his machete and that was good enough for him.

"Logan!" The adrenaline fueled brunet glanced to his right, seeing Kendall and James trying to follow him.

"Get the supplies in the Hummer! I'll hold them off!"

Kendall was reluctantly pulled down the aisle to Carlos. Before they were out of eat shout Kendall shouted "In 'n out!"

Logan smiled at that. "In 'n out!"

Looks like his catchphrase was traveling around the group.

He ran out of the store, halting at once when he saw the zombie in the bright sky blue suit staring at him on a roof across the street. He could see the smug grin on the zombies face, as if was taunting him. The wound on its shoulder was still gaping, but clogged up from the blood that oozed and dried in the hole.

Logan's vision snapped to the entrance of the store.

"Fuck." He muttered.

He really wished he had his pipe right now. In the entrance was a hoard of runners bursting through and running straight at him. Quickly he unsheathed his machete and grabbed his gun from his waist and pointed it at the hoard. The sound of bullets hitting flesh resonated off the cement walls as Logan ran towards the zombies.

Zombies fell to the ground as the revolver in Logan's hand spun to the next bullet. He snapped the gun back to his waist when he only had two shots left. He had ammo but it would take time to reload the revolver. Time he didn't have.

Grabbing the machete with both hands he swung upwards as hard as he could. Letting the blade slice through a head and further ruining the shirt Kendall found for him with blood. He heard a snarl to his left and without looking Logan jammed the zombie in the gut with his elbow; pushing it back to give him room to attack.

He did his best to keep his breath even with all the zombies near him. He didn't want to say it, but he felt rusty from not attacking zombies for so long. His eyes scanned across the hoard that now surrounded him.

15

He could easily handle them if he had the pipe and a nine millimeter instead of a revolver, but without those two and him being rusty, this was going to be a challenge.

"Bring it." He smirked and the hoard jumped at him.

"Carlos! Where are you?!" Kendall and James ran through the aisle they saw Logan come out of, but Carlos wasn't there.

"Guys!" The two stopped on their heels when they heard Carlos hiss out. "Over here!"

They heard Carlos' voice call out from the back of the store. The two ran to the back of the store with their guns drawn ready to shoot any zombie that decided to try and pop up on them.

"Carlos! Where the fuck are you!?" Kendall was more worried about Logan than the Latino. All he wanted to do was find Carlos then go and help Logan.

"OVER HERE." Kendall looked passed a corner to see Carlos with a cart full of canned goods at a door. "This way!"

Kendall looked back to the front seeing Logan attack the zombie hoard. He desperately wanted to run over there and help, but knew that Logan was far better alone at taking down zombies than he was with other people. Even with Kendall who he shared this bond that they grew accustomed too so quickly they could take down zombies together without even saying a word.

"He'll be alright; we have to get this stuff to the Hummer." James pulled at his arm and pushed him to Carlos and the back exit.

"Ugh, fine." He ran to the door helping them take the cart out of the store. He turned back and whispered. "Be careful."

Logan panted. His machete hanged loosely in his grip as he supported himself by his left knee. Wiping the line of sweat on his forehead he looked around. He was able to get rid of ten of the zombies, but it took nearly all of his strength to just do that.

"I really need to start working out again."

He screamed out a battle cry and lunged at the last five who were working as a team. It seemed as if they were taunting him with their speed. That was one thing that gave them their advantage against most people. With Logan he learned that even with their speed all they did was lunge and try to take a chunk out of him, but this time it was different.

He swung his machete at the closest one, but before it could reach its intended target another zombie pushed him causing him to lose his balance. Falling, Logan let his hands touch the floor first and making the force of the fall go to his feet and pushed himself back up. Even if they were working together they weren't as smart as Logan is. With the extra force from pushing himself back up he swung the blade upwards. This time he heard a gurgle and flesh tearing.

He gasped when he felt a hand on his shoulder trying to pull him off his feet again. "Not this time." Logan swung on his heels pushing the zombie to its ass and lunged down. Blood spurted from its head when the machete plunged into its skull.

He stood back on his feet staring at the last three zombies standing a few feet away from him snarling and groaning. He tightened his grip on his machete. The leather of the handle creaked in protest as he pushed his centrifugal force to the balls of his feet. With a snarl he pushed forward but froze in his stance when he heard a gunshot.

His head snapped to the direction of the Hummer and saw birds burst out of trees nearby from the sudden noise. His heartbeat raced as he heard Kendall call out.

"JAMES!"

Kendall and James followed Carlos out of back of the store and around the cement wall. They could hear the fighting inside the cement walls. Logan grunting and shouting every few seconds in his adrenaline fueled rage. They did their best to walk as quietly as they could to not attract attention, but that was hard with the cart squeaking.

Kendall leaned against the fence when they reached the corner. He peered around it to see if the coast was clear. "Clear, let's get this stuff in the Hummer and load the motorcycle too."

Kendall threw James the keys and pulled out his gun as they paced to the Hummer. Kendall stood in front of the vehicle, closest to the entrance of the store. He could hear Logan killing the zombies as James opened the back of the Hummer and helped Carlos load in the food and supplies they found.

Kendall was about to look around the corner to see if Logan needed help but heard Carlos shout out.

"Behind you, James!"

Kendall's head jerked back to the two and saw a runner right behind James. He gasped when it tackled James, making the brunet shout out and hit his head against the ground.

"JAMES!"

Logan took in a deep breath and tapped the balls of his heels against the ground. The blades jumped out of his boots and he spun to the close zombie kicking it in the side of the head the blade jerking to a stop at the skull. He retracted his foot and the zombie fell to the ground dead. Not letting himself time to recover he spun with more force and did the same to the next zombie.

When his foot broke through the skull of the second to last zombie his hand went to his waist and grabbed his revolver. He pulled it out just as his foot touched the ground and pointed it at the zombie behind him. He felt no hesitation as he pushed the trigger and the bullet made the zombie fall to the ground.

Never giving himself the time catch his breath he tapped his heels on the ground again, this time the blades retracted back into the soles of the shoes and he ran to a car against the cement wall. The car groaned from the extra weight when Logan jumped on top and put his hands on top of the fence wall. His hands gripped the fence with all his strength he could pull out and feet hit the wall and pushed himself over it as fast as he could.

He stood on top of it only long enough to see what was happening. When he saw James on the ground with a runner on top of him he pointed his gun and pulled the trigger without giving him time to aim.

The bullet ricochets off the ground near James and the ground. "Fuck." He muttered and tightened his hold on his machete. Right now all he was thinking was why Carlos or Kendall weren't helping out and that's when he heard more snarls of zombies. He looked around and saw Kendall shooting at a few runners that were coming out of an alley way and Carlos was doing the same in front of the Hummer.

"Get. The. Fuck. OFF!" James shouted as he punched the zombie in the face. It fell right next to him and before he could grab his gun a machete zipped through the air and landed straight into the zombie's head; making it fall to the ground.

James looked up and saw Logan standing on top of the fence panting, covered in sweat and smiling at him weakly.

"Show of!"

Logan laughed but stopped when the bullets of his friends registered in his mind. He jumped off the fence and ran to James and the zombie; grabbing the hilt of the machete he pulled it out of the skull.

"Get the car started."

"What about the motorcycle?"

"Leave it!" Logan went into his pocket, fumbled for a second until he felt the led bullets, and pulled them out.

He started reloading the gun and ran to Kendall. An underlying amount of fear coursed through him as he saw Kendall struggling with keeping the zombies at bay. Whenever he took down one two more took its place.

"DIE BITCHES!" Logan ducked when he heard James shout out then was followed by a barrage of bullets piercing the air around them. He looked behind him and saw James holding the M4 Carbine going trigger happy and cleared the front of the street.

"Come on!" He turned and saw Kendall running up to him. Logan was about to stand back on his feet, but Kendal grabbed him by the waist and picked him up and threw him over his shoulder.

"Kendall!"

"No time!" He huffed.

Logan was about to protest and say that he could walk, but next thing he knew he was thrown in the back of the Hummer with Carlos sitting next to him shooting out the window. He sat up when James jumped in the driver's seat and Kendall in the passenger. The doors barely had time to shut when James pressed his foot on the accelerator.

Logan sat up as they zoomed passed the zombies. He looked up and saw the one in the sky blue suit staring at the Hummer drive away. Logan scowled. The zombie was getting smarter with each attack. Before he could control the zombies just to an extent, but now it was like he was telling them instead of just trying to eat them to attack in a certain way. It was only a matter of time before Logan wouldn't be able to outsmart him and that scared Logan, because after so many months being alone he didn't want that to happen again. Which meant he would have to give his all to take the one in the sky blue suit to protect everyone, especially Kendall.